Nestled against Lake Austin where it curves east and over Tom Miller Dam to meet Lady Bird Lake, lies the upscale, historic, family-friendly Austin Neighborhood known as Tarrytown.
Established in 1915 and named after Tarrytown, New York, this verdant west Austin community is known for its urban forest, which inspired the original 1930’s advertising slogan: “Where oak trees charm the eye.”
“We first moved to Tarrytown mostly for its proximity,” says mother-of-three Allison Reyna. “It’s very close to my husband’s office in the center of the city, and it’s really easy to get to other great Austin locations like Town Lake, Deep Eddy and Whole Foods.”
Allison and her husband rent a two-story home and hope to buy in Tarrytown one day. “We just fell in love with our neighbors, all the wonderful residents, and the kids!”
Tarrytown is located within the Austin Independent School District, and schools include the exemplary Casis Elementary, O. Henry Middle School, and The Girls School, a private school off Windsor Road. High school students attend Austin High. Schools of area churches, such as Westminster Presbyterian and Tarrytown Methodist, offer additional options for parents like Allison with pre-school children.
Families like the Reynas deeply appreciate the community’s small-town feel. “I love when I go to all my favorite little local spots in Tarrytown, whether it’s Kula Yoga or Texenza Coffee, or even to the library up the street, I always run into friends and neighbors. It feels like a small town in a big city,” explains Allison. “We can open our door and walk outside into the afternoon, and find friends to play with and parks to go to very close by.”
Tarrytown offers not one, but three parks to area residents. Six-acre Reed Park has a winding stream, a public pool, a playground, barbeque pits, and beautiful trails. Known to many as “Triangle Park” for its shape, Tarrytown Park lies to the east, and offers a gurgling creek, a baseball field, and toddler playscape. West Enfield Park provides a school-age playscape, a pool and fields for play, and is a favorite to local children for its hourly promise: a view of the passing Mo-Pac train.
For childcare, sports camps and team sports, families like Allison’s bring their children to West Austin Youth Association (WAYA), located across from the middle school. On the way home, they like to visit the very-green Howson Branch Public Library and its 1,000 gallon rainwater harvesting system, or head to the heart of Tarrytown to shop at the Tarrytown Shopping Center. This center is home not only to historic Tarrytown Pharmacy, but to the oldest independent toystore in Austin, locally-treasured Over the Rainbow!
Visiting Tarrytown? Enter by its northern access, 35th Street, to find an instant photo-op by the peacocks, koi ponds, or sylvan lakeviews of Mayfield Preserve. Drive a bit further to check out the recently restored 1916 Italianate-style villa of the Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria, where adults and children alike flock for art classes year-round.
Interested in some fun in the sun? Take Tarrytown’s southern border, Lake Austin Boulevard, to access one of the oldest public boat launches in Austin: Walsh Boat Landing. On the way, you’ll pass a lively array of famous Austin hangouts, like Magnolia Café and Thundercloud Subs, as well as on-the-water venues like Mozart’s Coffee, Abel’s Lakeside Grill, and Hula Hut Restaurant. If you’d rather put around a bit, you will also pass Lions Municipal Golf Course, host to such legends as Ben Hogan, Tom Kite, and Ben Crenshaw.
Regent REALTORS® help home-buyers stay on top of the latest in Tarrytown trends. If you’re on the lookout for an Austin home for sale, check out Austin Home Search!